Overhead electrical car system.



. G. HBINEMAN.

OVERHEAD BLEGTRIOAL GAR SYSTEM.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT.13, 1907.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

INVENTOR I B) WITNESSES.

ATTORNEY l ALTENT GEORGE HEINEMAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

OVERHEAD ELECTRICAL GAR SYSTEM.

No. erases.

Application filed September 13, 1907.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 30, 1909.

Serial No. 392,729.

To all whom it may conc m:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HEINEMAN, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing in the city and county of San n rancisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOverhead Electrical Car Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

Ordinarily the current for operating electric railway cars is taken froman overhead system by means of a trolley-wheel working against anexposed or non-insulated supply Wire, independent supply wires beingused for cars running on separate tracks,that is to say where there aretwo tracks, a supply wire is provided for each. Inasmuch as the feed orsupply wires are exposed or non-insulated, great danger exists as to thereceiving of shocks therefrom in case the wires break and fall to theground, besides the liability of the workmen or linemen receiving shocksby accidentally grasping of the wires while making repairs to theoverhead systems as at present constructed.

The object of the present invention is to provide for the taking of thecurrent for the operating of the electric cars from a single supplycable by means of a series of distributing wires extended therefromlaterally at given intervals along the line of the railway, thelaterally extended distributing wires being extended within the sphereof the cars running on either track of the roadbed, said distributingwires being connected with depending contacts which are swept by thetrolley-brush of the cars during the travel thereof, the supply cableand the distributing wires being insulated. to protect the linemen fromreceiving shocks while repairing the overhead system, and pedestriansand horses from receiving shocks by contact with dangling wires, in casethe supply cable or distributing wires should become broken.

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanyingsheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of thearrangement of the wires as applied. to an overhead electric railwaysystem. Fig. 2 is a broken detail view of one of the distributing Wireswith its contact depending therefrom. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional viewof the parts shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawings the numerals l2 indicate the tracks of a double trackelectric railway, and 3 the supply cable which is arranged centrallybetween the traoks and held a distance above the same, being supportedat a height above the said tracks common to overhead electric railways.

From the supply cable 3 laterally extends at given intervals thedistributing wires 4, which wires are connected to and receive currentfrom the supply wire or cable at one point, icing ield apart at theirouter end portion by the separating blocks 5. The centrally disposedsupply cable 3, and the spaced laterally extended distributing wires lare thoroughly insulated, except at the point of union or contacttherebetween, the insulation of the distributing wires 4 extending tothe end portions 6 thereof, which noninsulated portions of thedistributing wires bear onto the copper band or strap 7, fitted over theblocks 5.

The central supply cable 3 with its laterally extended distributingwires 4 is supported by the poles 10, being connected thereto by the tiewires These wires are attached to the space blocks 5 by means of aninsulated block 9, within which is held the head of the bolt 11, whichis formed integral with and projects from the coupling ring 12. The headof the bolt 11 is secured within the insulated block 9 in any convenientmanner as for example by molding or forming the block around the head ofthe bolt. This coupling ring is fitted over the space blocks 5, andthrough the said ring, the space block, and the band or strap 7 extendsthe screw-threaded portion 13 of the flexible contact plate 14. The saidcontact plates are held in position by means of the nut 15, which screwsonto the upper projecting end of the same, Fig. 2 of the drawings. It isobvious that other means may be employed for securing the contact platesto the space blocks, likewise for supporting the central supply cableand its laterally extended distributing wires.

The current is taken from the central supply cable by means of thelaterally extended distributing wires 4, passing there from through theband or strap 7 into the downwardly extended flexible contact plates 14.

l e flexible contact plates 14 project below the space blocks for adistance of about two feet, more or less, and stand about midway of thetracks 1-2, so that the lower end thereof may be engaged by thetrolley-brush. secured to the electric railway ear, above the roofthereof. The trolley brush to be used in connection with the presentinventionis set forth in an application filed by me in the United StatesPatent Office Sept. 13, 1907 concurrently with the present applicationand bearing Serial No. 392,728, hence the same need not herein bedescribed.

I The laterally extended distributing wires 4 are arranged at intervalsof about thirty feet apart, the only noninsulated exposure of thedescribed overhead system being at the contact plates 14, which arearranged at given intervals along the system corresponding to that ofthe distributing wires.

The trolley brush secured to and carried by each car used in connectionwith the described overhead system, and which forms no portion or thepresent application, is such as to h ave a field of contact greater thanthe distance between the contact plates 4, so that a portion of itsfield will be in contact with one of the plates along the line of therailway at all times.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is '1. An overhead system forelectrically operated railway cars, the same comprising an insulatedmain supply cable, a series cl insulated distributin wires laterallyextended therefrom at regular intervals, spacing blocks of insulatingmaterial with which the said wires connect, a contact plate carried byeach of the said spacing blocks for supplying anelectrical current to apassing car, a con nection between the said contact plates and thedistributing Wires, and means for supporting the supply cable, thedistributing Wires, and the contact plates above the tracks of therailway.

2., An overhead system for electric railways comprising a main supplycable extended along the roadway, a plurality of space blocks supportedat the side of the supply cable, a ser1es of insulated distributingwires extending laterally from the supply cable and engaging the spaceblocks, a series of vertically disposed resilient contact plates rigidlyconnected with the space blocks and electrically connected with thedistributing wires, and means for supporting the supply cable, thedistributing wires and space blocks above the tracks of the roadway;

3. An overhead system for electrically operated railway cars, the samecomprising an insulated main supply cable, a series of insulateddistributing wires laterally extended therefrom at intervals, blocks towhich said wires are connected, metal bands on the.

blocks and in contact with said wires, a contact plate carried by eachof the blocks for conducting electric current to a passing car, eaehofsaid plates being provided with a shank passing through one of theblocks and engaging one of the metal bands, and means for supporting thesupply cable, the distributing wires and space blocks above the tracksof the roadway.

4. An overhead system for electrically operated railway cars,thesamecomprising an insulated main supply cable, a plurality of space blocksarranged along opposite sides of said cable, a series of insulateddistributing wires laterally-extended to opposite sides of the supplycable, each of said wires connecting two op ositely disposed spaceblocks, a contact p ate carried by each or" the" space blocks, aconnection between the wires and contact plates, and means forsupporting the space blocks in an elevated position. 7

5. An overhead system for electrically operated railway cars, the samecomprising an insulated main supply cable, a plurality of space blocksarranged along opposite sides of said cable, coupling members engagingthe space blocks, a series of insulated distributing wires laterallyextended to opposite sides of the supply cable, each of said wires connecting with two oppositely disposed space blocks, a contact platecarried by each of the space blocks, a connection betweenthe wires andcontact plates and means'for supporting the su ly cable, thedistributing wires and space blocks above the tracks of the roadway,said means including an elevated sup port at opposite sides of thesupply cable and tie wires connecting the supports and coupling members.

6. An overhead system for electrically operated railway cars, the samecomprising an said cable, coupling members engaging the space blocks, aseries of insulated distributing wires laterally extended to oppositesides of the supply cable, each of said wires connecting with twooppositely disposed space blocks, a contact plate carried by each of thespace blocks, a connection between the wires and contact plates, andmeans for supporting the su a ly cable, the distributing wires and spacelolbclrs above the tracks'of the roadway, said means including anelevated support at each side of the supply cable and tie wires havingan insulated connection with the coupling members and connected to thesupports. 7

7. An over head system for electrically operated railway cars, the samecomprising an insulated main supply cable, a series of insulateddistributing wires laterally extended to one side of the supply cable,bloclrs provided with seats to receive said wires, metal bands on saidblocks, metal coupling rings fitted on the bloclrs over the metal bandscontact plates carried by the blocks, each of said contact plates havinga shank passing through a metal band, a coupling ring and a space block,the metal bands engaging the wires and serving to electrically connectthe wires with the contact plates, and means for supporting the su plycable, the distributing wires and space locks above the tracks of theroadway.

8. An overhead system for electrically operated railway cars, the samecomprlslng an j insulated main supply cable, a series of insulateddistributing wires laterally extended to one side of the supply cable,space blocks provided. with seats to receive the wires, metal bands onsaid s ace blocks, metal coupling rings fitted on t e s ace blocks overthe metal bands, contact p ates carried by the space blocks, each ofsaid contact plates having a shank passing through a space block, ametal band and a coupling ring and secured to the coupling ring, saidmetal bands engaging the wires and serving to electrically connect theWires with the contact lates, said coupling rings being provided witprojections, insulating blocks connected with the projections of thecoupling rings, an elevated support at each side of the supply cable,and tie wires connecting the insulating blocks with the elevated suports.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE HEI'NEMAN.

Witnesses N. A. AOKER, D. B. RICHARDS.

